Bangka Tengah -- In support of education for people with disabilities, PT Timah held a Disability Seminar titled "Helping Children with Special Needs Succeed" for parents of children with special needs at the Special Needs School (SLB) Koba Hall on Wednesday, (25/6/2025).
This marks the second year PT Timah has held this seminar, following previous events in Pangkalpinang City and Karimun Regency.
Collaborating with Rumah Indira consultants, PT Timah provided education to parents and teachers of children with special needs at SLBN Koba. The goal was to help them optimize the potential of children with disabilities through appropriate parenting and education methods that support their development.
The event was met with enthusiasm by the parents of SLBN Koba students. Dozens of parents attended the seminar and took part in a consultation session with the speakers, Iin Indriyani and Dr. Rahmadi Iwan Guntoro, Sp.P. During the seminar, parents were guided to better understand effective parenting approaches.
The seminar was also attended by Irwan, Assistant for Government and Welfare Affairs of Bangka Regency; Darlan, Acting Head of the Education Department of the Bangka Belitung Islands Province; Sri Kartini, Principal of SLB Koba; and the students' parents.
Irwan expressed his appreciation to PT Timah for organizing the seminar, which helps parents of children with disabilities better support their children's development.
"We hope this learning experience will foster more empathy and support for our special children to grow and thrive. Don’t treat them differently. We appreciate PT Timah for organizing this important activity, especially since we lack educators here. Hopefully, we can all continue to support these children so they can grow up to be valuable members of society," he said.
Similarly, Darlan, Acting Head of the Bangka Belitung Education Department, said PT Timah was a pioneer in hosting parenting seminars for parents of students with special needs.
"PT Timah is a pioneer in holding events like this. It's important that parents know the right way to educate children with special needs. We currently have seven special schools, and we hope this program continues to reach more schools so that more parents are educated. This is a proper CSR program that truly cares about people with disabilities and helps them become independent and productive," he said.
He also expressed his appreciation for PT Timah's role in supporting education in Bangka Belitung, and hopes that this synergy can continue to grow through various programs in the future.
Sri Kartini, Principal of SLB Koba, also shared that the seminar is expected to increase parental awareness in supporting their children's education, especially given the many challenges that come with teaching children with special needs.
She mentioned that there are currently 118 students with special needs enrolled at SLBN Koba.
"Hopefully, this will raise more awareness among parents to prioritize their children's education, as many are still not fully supportive. We hope this program continues and that parents apply the knowledge gained today. Success in education requires collaboration from many parties," she said.
Komaria, one of the parents, expressed her joy at participating in the seminar, saying it helped her improve how she raises and supports her child.
"My child has been living with a disability for 15 years and is now in high school. I’m very happy and proud to attend this seminar because it shows that there are still people who care about us, the parents of special needs children—like what PT Timah has done. I hope this continues, because being a parent to a special needs child is not easy and requires strength," she concluded.
